As The Falcon Flies By
by Akamaruuuu
Summary: While on a mission, Sakura gains the attention of a dark and mysterious vampire. Will he help her overcome her own darkness? Or will he just make it worse? And will her friends still believe in her, when all her secrets are revealed? Rated for some swearing.
1. The Berries

**As The Falcon Flies By**

**Chapter 1 - The Berries**

**I don't own anything! I would be really happy if you'd review, since this is my first fanfic! :)**

* * *

"You need to go out." A very serious Genma was standing in front of Sakura's desk, his arms crossed over his chest.

Muscles showed through the black fabric covering his arms, and the ever-present senbon stuck in his mouth.

Without looking up, she asked him: "Excuse me?" She had work to do. A lot. Kakashi had come back from a mission, with a _very_ sick Gai. Sick, as in his-face-was-as-green-as-his-suit-sick.

Their mission was to get rid of two missing-nin who were terrorising some small farm villages. Not a problem for two of the most legendary shinobi of Konoha, but one of the missing-nin had gotten lucky. According to Kakashi, she had been able to scratch Gai with the tip of a dagger. And voilà, five hours later, the fierce and youthful Green Beast of Konoha was stuck in a hospital bed.

At least their mission had been accomplished.

Sakura was bent over a microscope, inspecting the blood for the traces of poison. Frowning, she quickly scribbled something down. _If this is what I think it is..._

With a determined face, she got up to pick a heavy book from the bookshelf behind her. She started flipping through the pages, and found confirmation of her suspicions. _I knew it! This isn't poison!_

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Genma still stood in front of her desk, with a determined face.

With a small frown she closed the book and sighed. _How could this happen again?_ Shaking her head, she opened the door of her office.

"Kakashi?"

The slouching jonin slowly looked up from his favourite book.

"Hn?"

"Are you sure he was poisoned during the attack?"

Kakashi managed to make even that simple nod look lazy.

"It must have been."

"Then why am I sure it's food poisoning?"

He sweat-dropped. _Oh oh..._

An uncertain smile crept on his face. "Again...?"

_Oh Kami... Not again Kakashi!_

"You let him eat the damn berries again, didn't you?"

Like a small child being caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Kakashi shrank a little with her sharp tone.

"Uhh... no?"

She almost face-palmed. Her growing displeasure must have shown on her face, because Kakashi's eyes widened a little. _Time to leave..._

Before Sakura could stop him, the man made his escape, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke behind.

A low growl sounded from her throat. _That man..._

Genma quickly jumped from her path as she stalked back into her office, the heavy door slamming closed behind her.

She stomped towards her desk, slammed a drawer open and started going through it.

"..."

"What ...are you doing?"

Hesitant and wary - he knew very well how Sakura could be when she was angry- he walked a little closer.

"Pfffff..." With a tired sigh she gave up and sank back into her chair.

"A few weeks ago, Gai arrived at my door, sick, because of some berries he found next to the road."

An amused smile crept onto Genma's face. That sounded just like his old teammate... He could almost hear Gai's enthusiasm.

"I keep telling him not to eat strange things, but he doesn't listen!"

The umpteenth sigh of the day escaped her lips.

With a chuckle, Genma sat on the edge of the desk.

"Sakura?"

"Hn...?"

"You _need_ to take a break."

Her eyebrow raised and her mouth tensed.

"I guess..."

"And preferably... a good night out. How does that sound, huh?"

A small smile crept on her face as she opened another drawer of her desk and now that she was calm, immediately found what she was looking for. With quick but precise handwriting, she wrote something down on the piece of paper.

"Al right. You give this to the nurses in the hospital. They'll know what to give Gai. I'll wrap up here... and then we'll go."

"Deal!"

* * *

She had needed this. A nice carefree night out with friends. _And lots and lots of booze... _she added, grinning mentally.

_Tsunade must be rubbing off on me._

They had stopped by her small but comfortable flat so she could change out of her lab coat. But since it was still quite early, they hung out a little.

Sakura had her eyes closed and was soaking in the last rays of summer sunshine on her balcony. Her feet rested on top of the wooden balustrade.

The city was quiet, as if a huge blanket had been laid over it. A small smile formed on her lips. _This is heaven._

Genma was in the kitchen, getting drinks from the small fridge next to the sink. She barely ate at home, so it wasn't very full.

The floor boards slightly creaked under his bare feet, as he walked outside.

"See? It's nice to be outside, huh?" he said, as he placed an ice-cold beer in her open hand.

"Hmn..." A reluctant noise came from Sakura. "Alright, you were right..."

A triumphant laugh escaped his lips.

She opened her eyes, just a crack, to show a small glare. But it was quickly melted away by the sun.

They chatted and drank. After lighting up his third cigarette, it was pitch black.

* * *

"Are you ready?"

She nodded while shrugging a simple jacket on.

"Let's go!" They grinned at each other.

Sakura swiped her small bag off the coffee table and ushered Genma out, locking the door behind her.

* * *

It was a comfortable bar. It was the bar where most Konoha shinobi could be found. Not to loud and not to quiet. Just perfect really.

Genma sauntered in, and as the fine gentleman he was, held the door for Sakura.

With a snort she passed him, showing how little she believed his little act.

Chuckling, they made their way to a table in the back.

It was quite early, but already it was filled with people. Mostly shinobi, but some civilians too.

Quickly, a waiter appeared at the table. "The usual?"

With a glance at Sakura, Genma said: "Something... a little bit stronger, please."

"Of course, Shiranui-san." With a small bow the waiter left.

"Something stronger...?"

He leaned over the table, and in a conspiring tone told her: " I'm planning on getting you incredibly drunk tonight."

She snorted. "I doubt that will happen. Somebody will need to bring us home tonight, and since you have a low alcohol-tolerance..."

"Hah! Just watch me! This time I'll keep up!"

* * *

_I've missed this... Maybe I do work too much..._

Genma was in the middle of telling her a story and she was actually enjoying herself. _Not bad Shiranui Genma, not bad..._

She looked at him and just smiled.

He faltered in his story-telling. "What...?"

"Nothing." Her smile grew.

He grinned back at her.

_He knows me so well._

"Uh... Am I interrupting something?"

With a start she looked to her right, where Kakashi awkwardly stood.

"Of course not!" She smiled at him, already forgiving him for disappearing earlier, and motioned him to sit down. Over his head, Sakura sent Genma a warning glare.

He just grinned back.

_Oh boy..._

* * *

She didn't see Kakashi often, now that she had some of the most important jobs in Konoha. So she was more than happy to catch up with him.

She just hoped he wouldn't find out about her and Genma. It would bring up a whole lot of questions and difficulties that she'd rather keep buried.

_We are_ not _in a relationship. Not really... So stop being so nervous._

The rest of the night was spent enjoying herself and talking to her friends.

* * *

"Fine. You can crash at my place."

"Like old times, huh?"

"Genma, sweetie?" she said with an overly sweet voice.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Shut up!" She sent him a warning glare, but he didn't notice.

_He must have drunk more than I thought..._

Rolling her eyes she stood up.

"Do you need any help?"

She shook her head. "Thanks, Kakashi, but it'll be fine."

Genma was trying to swat her hand away again. With a sigh she skillfully plucked the cigarette from between his fingers and put it in between her lips. _He's going to hurt himself like this...at least the senbon is gone. _She thought with a smile.

Holding him up with one arm, she paid the waiter.

"Alright, come on, sweetie. Don't make this to difficult for me."

"Where are we going...? I like it here..."

"Yeah, I can see..." An amused Sakura just smiled at him. _He's adorable when he's drunk..._

She waved at Kakashi, and when she passed their table, exchanged a few words with Shikamaru and Choji.

She then started dragging Genma towards the front door.

"You're staying on the couch though."

"But-"

"No but's!" she quickly interrupted.

"Aww... but that's no fun."

She just shook her head and laughed. _Don't ever change, Genma._

Stepping into the fresh air, she inhaled the smoke one more time. Than she flicked the cigarette into an ashtray, and made her way home, with her unusual luggage.

* * *

"That was... odd, no?"

Shikamaru was looking at the closed door. Through the window he could still see Sakura's signature pink hair, but it was dark and he couldn't make out anything beyond that.

"What do you mean, Shikamaru?" Ino plopped down on the empty chair on his right.

Choji scratched his head.

"I dunno, Shikamaru... You're probably overanalysing this."

"Yeah, maybe... But the fact that you thought of the same thing might mean something."

Ino, getting slightly ticked off by being left out of the conversation, opened her mouth: "Helloooo? What's going on?!"

Shikamaru just shook his head. "It's nothing, Ino."

_They probably_ aren't _a couple...  
_

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Constructive criticism is much needed, so please review!**

**Akamaruuuu out!**


	2. The Boxer Shorts

**As The Falcon Flies By**

**Chapter 2 - The Boxer Shorts**

**Aaaaah! I was finally able to put this chapter up! First I deleted it by accident, so I had to rewrite it. And then this website started acting annoying. Anyway, enjoy!  
**

* * *

The room was dark. And spinning. _Is it supposed to spin?_

Her head was pounding as if it was being split into two. _Horrible, just horrible. _she thought. _We_ _got wasted again, didn't we?_

She felt his strong arm slung loosely around her waist. His breaths were deep and his chest expanded when he inhaled, touching her back. With a shaking hand, she reduced the pounding. It lessened, but even she couldn't cure a hangover as nasty as this one. _How much did we drink? Apparently enough._ She thought as she looked at Genma's sleeping -shirtless- form.

Sakura slowly sat up, Genma's hand sliding of her. He just kept on snoring slightly.

She realized she wasn't wearing much, as a cold chill settled over her. Rubbing her hands against her bare arms, she looked down. With an amused look she saw she was only wearing a bra, and a pair of Genma's boxer shorts. He did often sleep over, so he had his own drawer of clothes in her dresser. Quickly, she pulled a shirt over herself and made her way to the kitchen.

_Kami, this headache..._

Her eyes squinted at the little light that filtered through the closed curtains.

She took two headache tablets from an overhead cupboard and went to brush her teeth.

Fearing what she would see, she looked in the mirror.

_What a mess..._

Ever so slowly, she brushed the tangled mess on top of her head.

After the hundredth time trying to make her hair smooth, she gave up and put it in a messy bun.

_That'll do._

_Gah! I still need a shower..._

Just then, a knock came from the door, causing a groan to escape her lips. _Not now. Please just not know._ More knocking. _Go away. GO AWAY._

This was bad. Really bad. The person behind that door would have to deal with a very grouchy Sakura.

She made her way off the cold bathroom tiles and in to the dark living room. While she walked, she tried to relieve more of the pressure her brain seemed to be under with medical chakra.

_How pitiful, I feel like I'm a hundred years older..._

Slowly, she opened the door, her eyes shutting when the harsh light bore into her vision.

"This better be a fucking emergency, or I'll make you pay." She hissed. When her eyes adjusted, she saw a wide-eyed Hinata with a shocked look on her face. Her hand was still balled up, ready to knock once again.

_Oops... That was maybe a little too harsh._

Opening her eyes a little more, she saw a just as startled Kiba behind her.

Grumbling, she opened the door a little more.

"Please please just come in quickly. The light is giving me hell."

The two visitors cautiously stepped in.

Closing the door behind her with the softest click possible, she turned towards her two visitors.

"Well, what's up?"

"Uh... Are you alright, Sakura - chan?" Hinata asked politely.

An uncomfortable moment passed.

"...why?"

"Well, you _really_ look like hell."

_Not so polite._

"Kiba! You can't say that!" Hinata turned a little bit red of embarrassment.

_Never mind my appearance... Just look at this place. What must they think of me?_

She hadn't noticed before but her apartment was a garbage heap.

With a groan she saw an unhealthy amount of empty bottles, and the smell of cigarettes was still very distinct.

Walking past the two intruders, she opened up the big window that doubled as a door to her balcony. She was careful to keep her eyes shut until the curtains had been closed again. The soft breeze pushed the curtains against her. It felt like it would be another hot day.

Turning back to the two she asked: "Do you have a reason for being here or is it just to annoy me?"

"We're very sorry but-" Hinata began.

"Are you wearing boxers?" Kiba interrupted.

_..._

_Shit, I forgot about that._

"Yeah, so what?" She snapped.

"Kiba, I don't think-" Hinata tried to intervene.

"And those are _men's_ boxer shorts?"

"Yup." _Play it cool, Sakura._

"Soooo... Who's the lucky guy?"

"You really shouldn't d-" Hinata feebly tried to stop him.

"Who said anything about a guy?"

He snorted. "Your apartment is littered with cigarettes and bottles, you are wearing men's boxers and-" He squinted a little. "...and a man's shirt!" An excited grin formed on his face.

"That means he's still here, right?!"

_If Kiba really was a dog_ Sakura mused _his tail would be wagging right now._

"Kiba!" Hinata squealed. "Don't be so impolite!"

"Oh, but just look at her, Hinata. You are just as curious as me to the identity of this guy. Admit it!"

"Even so, we mustn't be impolite." She said sternly.

Sakura childishly stuck her tongue out at him, which he just as childishly returned.

_Oh Kami..._ Hinata rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, why are you here?"

"Ah, yes!" Hinata shook her head, as if to clear it of all the silliness of that morning.

"We happened to stop by the Hokage earlier for a mission report and she asked us to give you this."

From a pocket on her jonin jacket she retrieved a small scroll and handed it to her.

When she saw it, Sakura knew exactly what it was.

She just held the small thing and thanked the two shinobi.

"Aren't you going to open it?"

"The Hokage asked us to make sure you read it." Hinata added.

With a sigh she broke the seal.

_You know me so well, shisou... I would have just done as if I had forgotten to read it. Then I would have had a fun day, but nooooo... I get to spend the day in a stuffy room with stubborn people at least thrice my age._

And her suspicions were correct.

_'Honorary Haruno Sakura,_

_We, the Council of Konaha, have summoned you for the monthly meeting... blah blah... highest members of society... something about the wellbeing of the city... Yada yada yada... We expect you to be present at 1 pm in the Council halls.'_

It was just a whole lot of fancy words for 'Listen to the annoying elders complain about something the Hokage did' or whatever.

When she had accepted this job, she had accepted a little desk work too, but _not_ the monthly blabbering of the clan heads and the elders.

At least Tsunade was on the same page as her. If anything, she hated the meetings even more than her.

Sakura's mouth turned a little down.

"Pfffff... "

"Not good news?" Kiba inquired.

"Not good news." She confirmed.

"Do you guys know what time it is?"

Grabbing a piece of paper, she quickly scribbled something down for Genma, so he would know where she was.

"Uhh... It's quarter to one, exactly."

Hinata's words startled her. "Ack!"

_Katon jutsu._

A small ball of fire burned the scroll, leaving no evidence of its existence, except for the smell of burned paper.

Couldn't let anyone read her scrolls. It was a rule she intended to keep.

"Okidoki! Thanks for coming but I'm incredibly late so..." She started pushing the teammates through her front door.

"Hey! Wait! I still want to know who that guy is!"

"Don't you dare sniff me, Kiba!"

"Sniff you? Whatever are you talking about?" His eyes were as innocent as a puppy. _Again with the dog metaphor..._

"You were trying to smell who he is! Just admit it." She replied.

"Al right, I admit." He sheepishly scratched his head.

Sakura had managed to push him out of her apartment. No need to push Hinata of course. She looked like she wanted to drag Kiba out herself.

"If it wasn't for the cigarette smell, I would have known, you know!" He said it as if he was protecting his manliness.

Sakura sharply breathed in. _The time!_

"Thanks for bringing the scroll guys, but I really need to get ready."

With a wave she closed the door again and rushed to the bedroom. She grabbed some real clothes, a jonin uniform, and softly closed the door behind her, as not to disturb Genma's sleep.

She then sprinted into the bathroom and showered at top speed.

It would not do to arrive later than everybody else.

* * *

**What do you think so far? I would love to hear your comments! :)**

**Akamaruuuu out!**


	3. Coffee and a Meeting

**As The Falcon Flies By**

**Chapter 3 - Coffee and a Meeting**

**I do not own Naruto!**

**I'm sorry this took so long! I had a lot of homework to do... or was it a lot of procrastination? Anyway :), there's one thing I want to address:**

**I'm not caught up with the series, but I do know a general outline of what will happen. I read some spoilers (like an idiot) so I know about some character deaths. I'm still in permanent denial, so if this fanfiction contains people who really should be dead... to bad! I'm staying in my perfect little world. :D**

**Also, a giant THANK YOU! to all those lovely people who favourited, reviewed or followed me! Yay to you!**

**It really means a lot, guys!**

* * *

She was dressed in her jonin uniform.

Her hair was still damp from the shower and it whipped behind her as she ran.

The fastest way was over the rooftops and that's exactly the way she intended to take.

She slowed when she saw the entrance to the Hokage's building.

Making sure her long sleeves covered her arms well, she entered.

* * *

_The chairs are so uncomfortable. I wonder if they did that on purpose, so you can't fall asleep._

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

It didn't look like it would be a long meeting after all. Not many new things had occurred since last month, but you never knew though. Meetings could last very long, since the elders never agreed on much. It was amusing to watch them bicker and make passive-aggressive snide remarks at the rest. _As long as it's not directed at me, I'm fine with it._

Stretching her back discreetly, she leaned back in her chair.

_At least there's coffee._ She thought happily, as she took a sip from her cup. She looked around at the other present people. They were sitting at a big, expensive, solid oak wood table.

At the head of course, Tsunade sat, a stack of papers in front of her. She didn't look to happy to be here, but it had to be done.

Across from her sat Shikaku Nara, looking as bored as ever. His hand was laid over his own bundle of papers. She could almost imagine him mumbling 'How troublesome...'.

Next were the two elders.

_Ah...the enemy._

Troublesome but competent. That was a good way to describe them.

_I mean, they_ are _shinobi of the highest order but... They're just so annoying! Sure they're experienced and wise, but they're also so condescending... Even to Tsunade._

They were sitting to the left of the Hokage, across from Sakura, looking stern and proud.

To Sakura's left, Kakashi sat. He looked equally as bored as Shikaku. _At least he hasn't retrieved his books from his pocket. Yet._

"How are the constructions for the extra wing of the hospital coming along?" Tsunade was looking at her.

"Nicely," she calmly replied, the cup of coffee still hovering under her lips.

"It will be finished in two, maybe three weeks at the most."

Tsunade nodded and asked a few more questions about her work at the hospital.

Most people knew her as the head of the hospital and as one of the Sixth Hokage's most trusted advisors. She had other, even more important jobs but it was best to keep those covered up.

The last few months they had been expanding the hospital. An extra wing, specifically for shinobi. If a war or a big battle were to happen, this way it would be more organized.

They had also added a research lab. Specifically for poisons. At the moment, Sakura was one of the most renowned poison specialists the shinobi world had ever seen. And that said a lot, if you took Tsunade, Sasori and Lady Chiyo in account.

She had made sure that a large garden grew in her hospital. Medical herbs grew there in abundance. She had even imported several plants from different countries, creating an artificial climate, so they grew well.

She was quite proud of it.

* * *

As the meeting dragged on, the sun sank lower and lower. What at first had been a brightly lit room, was becoming filled with creeping shadows.

Tsunade put a piece of paper down on the right stack. It was growing bigger and bigger, as the left stack shrunk. Picking up a new paper, she moved on to the next subject.

"There is some news about the Akatsuki."

The statement caused a moment of nervous silence. Everybody knew that the notorious organizations was collecting tailed chakra monsters. The question was: when would they come for Naruto?

"Apparently there is some dissension among the members."

Expectant faces gazed at her.

"You should all have a copy of a more detailed mission report, but this is it in short." She cleared her throat.

"Jiraiya happened to witness a fight between Akatsuki in the Land of Lightning. It was between Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. The reason was unclear. They fought full-out, not holding back. It seemed like they were both out on stopping the other. Kisame lost and was left unconscious, bleeding heavily."

Sakura inwardly frowned a little. She hadn't known about this.

"Has his death been confirmed?"

"No, when Jiraiya left the sight, Kisame was still breathing."

"Why didn't he engage then? Surely, he easily could have killed Kisame Hoshigaki if he was unconscious?" Koharu Utatane looked at Tsunade, her long earrings swinging lightly with the movement.

Tsunade shook her head. "Jiraiya was merely keeping tabs on what the Akatsuki were up to, and just happened to stumble on the fight. I had ordered him not to engage unless it was truly necessary.

He saw Itachi leave, but soon after, three other members arrived. You must agree that that's to much for anyone to take on alone."

"What happened to Itachi?" Shikaku spoke up.

"He vanished. When Jiraiya realized it was to dangerous to stay much longer, he ran to a safer distance and waited to see what happened. The Akatsuki didn't pursue Itachi. They just disappeared into clouds of smoke, taking Kisame with them. Most-likely they were just clones, or it was some kind of teleportation jutsu. He then followed Itachi's trail, but it abruptly ended after a few hundred meters. Like I said, he vanished."

"Five Akatsuki in one place? That's almost unheard of... Have you contacted the Raikage?"

Tsunade replied to Sakura.

"Yes, I am still awaiting answer."

She nodded. Thoughts whirling in her head.

"So, they probably captured or tried to capture Killer Bee then."

A moment of tense silence passed after Sakura's statement.

Kakashi broke the silence by clearing his throat.

"If Killer Bee has been taken, then..."

He left the last part unspoken, but everybody knew what he meant.

_Then they'll come after Naruto. He has the last bijuu in him._

"We cannot afford to lose Uzumaki Naruto." Homura said this, while pushing his glasses up a little on his nose.

_No, we really can't. But I think we have different reasons. Konoha can't lose him because they'll lose an important weapon. I can't lose him because he's one of my most important people. _Sakura thought sadly. She would not survive losing him.

"Are they even able to do the extraction now that Itachi has left them?" Shikaku asked nobody in particular.

Sighing, the Sixth Hokage nodded.

"Yes, unfortunately. It'll probably just last a little longer. Besides, we're not certain the Uchiha actually left... They might just have had a falling-out."

Sakura was frowning openly now.

"A falling-out? Itachi does not seem to do _anything_ rash, let alone loose his temper and have a fight because of that."

"We'll just have to wait for more information on the matter."

* * *

A few more smaller matters had to be discussed but they finally finished. _Wow, the sun is still up! Kind of..._ Sakura thought happily, as she looked out of the big windows behind the elders. The sun was slowly sinking under the horizon, creating beautiful colours in the sky.

They were slowly getting up. So were Shikaku and Kakashi.

However, Sakura knew that it wasn't over for her. With a glance at her shisou, she saw that the blond woman new that as well. With a gloomy expression, Tsunade looked at the stack of papers that still remained.

Smiling empathically, Sakura said: "Why don't we take a little break, huh?"

Tsunade sent her a grateful smile back. "Kami, what would I do without you!"

While the others left, Sakura got up and stretched fully, making her back and neck pop.

Turning around, she made her way over to the small coffee-machine in the corner of the large room.

"Remind me to change the chairs here."

A bubble of laughter escaped her lips at the words of her old sensei.

"Kami! I thought I was the only one! Maybe we can give them to Ibiki. Let him use them as torture devices." She could here Tsunade laugh, as her cup filled with much-needed caffeine. At least she wasn't feeling her hangover much anymore. _Poor Genma... I'll heal him if it's still bothering him later._ She mused.

"Sakura?"

"Hn?"

She had noticed that Kakashi had stayed behind a little longer than the rest, but had chosen not to mention it. She knew what he wanted to talk about.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

_Oh boy..._

"Sure." She said it nonchalantly, as she followed him into the empty hallway.

Taking a small sip, she looked up at him, expectingly.

He looked a little uncomfortable, which was _very_ unusual for Kakashi. He just scratched his head and looked down at her.

"Well? Spit it out!"

Sighing, he dropped his hand to his side and stuffed them into his pockets.

"The other night, you seemed to be together again. With Genma, I mean."

_Bingo._

"We're not."

"You took him _home_, Sakura."

"It's not a serious relationship."

"That's why I'm worried."

"Kakashi, you know we're good friends. Genma would never do anything to hurt me."

He slowly deflated a bit.

"I know. Sometimes I'm just worried about you, y'know?"

His eye creased and Sakura knew he was smiling under his mask.

"I know, I know... " She smiled at him.

"Well, I'll let you get to it then!" He said, as he ruffled her hair affectionately.

Before she could deliver him a chakra laced punch, he quickly made his escape, winking at her.

_Gah! The insolence!_ She thought, her anger already fleeting. As she walked back inside, she quickly put her hair into a bun. Relieved that the short conversation had gone so well, she resumed her coffee.

Tsunade proposed moving to her office, her supposed reason being the more comfortable chairs. Sakura wasn't fooled though. She knew her shisou just wanted to be near her not-so-secret-stash of saké.

They worked another hour, going over finances, before Sakura made the Hokage retire to her bedroom.

_Why am I always baby-sitting slightly drunk people? _Shaking her head, she closed the door.

Afterwards, she tiredly plopped on the couch in the Hokage's office, to sleepy to go back to her apartment, and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

**This was more of a filler chapter but I hope you still enjoyed it. Reviews with constructive ****criticism are greatly appreciated. ^-^**

**Akamaruuuu out!**


	4. The Calm

**As The Falcon Flies By**

**Chapter 4 - The Calm**

**Sorry this took so long, but I had a lot to do and this ****chapter certainly didn't write itself. :) Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Shinobi are trained that they should be constantly aware of their environment. Even when they are sleeping, they have to be ready to jump in to a battle immediately.

So when a slight rustle reached Sakura's ears, she instinctively woke.

"It's fine Sakura. I'm just fetching something here. You can keep on sleeping."

Relaxing when she recognized Shizune's voice, she turned around on the soft cushions.

_What a bother. Those shinobi "skills" aren't helping me now, are they?_

She shut her eyes before any light could glare at her.

When she stirred again, Shizune said:

"Stay asleep, Sakura. Genma complained to me about how you work to much."

_..._

_Dammit, Genma..._

With a sigh she slowly drifted back asleep, not making a fuss.

_I_ don't _work to much._

* * *

"Have you seen her? We were supposed to go eat ramen together but she didn't show up."

A sulking Naruto was standing in Kakashi's doorway, blocking his escape from the interrogation.

"Do you know where she could be? What if something happened?! She would never just leave me like that! Maybe she's been kidn-"

Sighing, Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, making his waterfall of words stop.

In calm and clear words, he diffused the Naruto-bomb.

"She had a late meeting with the Hokage yesterday. She was probably just tired this morning and forgot. Sakura _hasn't _been kidnapped, Naruto." His amused smile was hidden by his mask.

The number one knucklehead ninja broke into a big smile.

_Of course she hasn't been kidnapped. And if she had been, I'd bring her back!_

Sensing his work was done, Kakashi waved him out of the door and said: "She's probably still at the Hokage's building."

With a thank-you-grin, Naruto enthusiastically leaped from Kakashi's doorway, barely knocking over a civilian.

"Oops! I'm sorry! He waved over his shoulder as he ran off to find Sakura, leaving a disgruntled man behind.

The man's frown quickly disappeared though, since nobody could stay upset for long on such a sunny day.

* * *

_Aren't I supposed to do something?_

Her head was pressed in the crease of the sofa, blocking the rest of world out. Someone had laid a heavy blanket over her- Shizune, she presumed- and she had woken warmly.

Still in her cocoon, she did as if she was still sound asleep, ignoring the occasional noises. A small hour had passed since she woke up the first time, and the Hokage's building was becoming busier.

_What was it?!_

Her brow creased a little with frustration, as she couldn't remember what she was supposed to do.

_It's not the hospital. The construction works are going fine. And it can't be ANBU, Genma was going to take care of that today._

A sigh escaped her lips._ I have a day off with no duties. Get used to it, Sakura._

Her cocoon of warmth felt a little too warm now. The summer heat was making her drowsy again.

_Mayb__e it's time to get up... _She thought, as she yawned uncontrollably.

Some words drifting from behind the heavy door made her freeze, though.

"But O bāchan-" She could clearly hear Naruto whining behind that wall and Tsunade telling him to be quiet.

_Oh, Kami. Naruto!_

In a flash she was out of her warm nest and opening the wooden door.

In front of her stood a surprised Naruto who was mid-sentence and a not-so-surprised Tsunade behind him.

"There you are!" His expression was quickly turning to a big grin. "We were supposed to go to Ichiraku's, remember?"

_Oops._

She had _totally_ forgotten.

She sheepishly scratched her head. "I forgot..."

Tsunade snorted as she pushed passed Naruto and Sakura.

"Yeah, we can see!"

Blushing slightly she adjusted her messy hair and her clearly slept-in clothing.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I... fell asleep..."

Waving her apology away, he grabbed her arm and started pulling her away.

"Oh, Sakura!" Tsunade called out to her. "I want to go over a mission with you later. Can you come this evening?"

Nodding at the Hokage, she acknowledged the order. Then she closed the door and let herself be dragged away by the enthusiastic blond.

"C'mon! I'm starving, you know!"

And so the two friends ended up eating in that same ramen bar they had eaten in for years.

* * *

They had caught up and eaten, after which Naruto went to go train. Since he had come back from his trip with Jiraiya, he had trained to rise in ranks. He was chuunin now, and soon he would be a jonin.

Sakura often helped him train, but today he told her she should have a real day off, since Kakashi was going to help him.

"Would you look at that! You are actually taking a day off..."

_Groan._

"Genma... Don't be annoying!"

He chuckled as he came closer. "You know I can't help it."

She was sitting on the terrace of a small café. It was surprisingly quiet for such a sunny day, since a lot of people had to work.

Sakura was enjoying the warmth of the sun. Her hair was pulled back in a lose braid and her bare feet rested on the cool stone floor. After eating with Naruto, she had quickly dressed into some comfortable clothes: A pair of shorts and a loose, long-sleeved T-shirt. It was warm, but she wanted to keep her arms covered. _If they see my arms, it'll just invite a whole bunch of questions I don't want to answer._

She put down the book she was reading in and looked at the man who plopped down across from her.

Raising an eyebrow she said: "Shirking, I see."

He just scoffed. " I did the work!"

"All of it?"

"Yup. There wasn't much, really. Just the usual."

She nodded her thanks.

"Thank god I have you. I can't imagine all the stress I would have otherwise."

He grinned even bigger now. "Ah, so you _need_ me. Well, well..."

She just rolled her eyes at him.

He really _was_ a good lieutenant and they worked so well together. She knew she couldn't wish for anyone better.

He waved his hand at the waitress and asked for the same as Sakura. Which turned out to be a lemonade.

"Watcha readin'?" He asked as he picked up the heavy book she had left on the table and opened it on a random page.

_Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow thelumbar- _He paused as he turned it over to look at the title of the book.

"_The Complete History of the Medicals: Volume I_." He read out loud, while shaking his head slightly, as if in dissaproval.

"A romantic novel, I see." He joked.

A bubble of laughter escaped her lips. "I am a medicin-nin. That stuff interests me. What do you expect?"

He gave her the heavy textbook and leaned back, his pose relaxed. He removed the senbon from his mouth and started twirling it lazily between his fingers.

"You know we have a mission briefing later, right?"

"Yeah, Tsunade told me. I wonder..." She drifted off.

"You wonder what?" He said softly.

She frowned a little. "It's just... what with everything going on, it seems weird that we'd be sent on a mission."

"You mean the hospital?"

"Yeah, the constructions, the ANBU, the Akatsuki... It must be really important if she's sending us both, right?"

She raised her glass to her lips, and drank from the straw.

"What _is_ up with the Akatsuki, anyway? I heard some rumors, but..." Genma trailed off, waiting for her to explain.

She leaned a little closer so she didn't have to speak to loudly.

_Don't want everybody to find out important information, right?_

"Itachi Uchiha left them."

Genma was silent for a moment.

"That's- That sure is something..." He eventually said.

"Yeah, Jiraiya saw him fight with Kisame. He won and then he left. Practically disappeared."

"But that means..." He said, while he leaned forward towards her.

She nodded, she had thought of the same thing.

"It means we have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. We don't know where he is, what his motives were or even if it was just a bloody act!" She whispered loudly.

She continued, speaking a little bit softer.

"It's a mess. A _big_ mess. He isn't restricted by being with The Akatsuki anymore and we don't know what his agenda is. _And_ we can't keep tabs on him..."

Sighing, Sakura shook her head. Their drinks stood forgotten in between them, as they both tried to figure out Itachi's reasoning.

"The only reason he joined them was because it would mean more power, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Apart from the fact that he wouldn't be accepted anywhere else after the massacre, yeah."

"So... Why leave? Those he think he can't gain any power anymore with the Akatsuki, or does he have a different goal..."

He sighed. "It _is_ a mess. What a bother."

The man looked at his abandoned glass of lemonade, as if to contemplate drinking it or not. He asked her, without looking up: "And you said he fought Hoshigaki?"

She nodded. "Left him half dead."

"So, they didn't let him leave voluntarily, I guess."

"We'll see. Maybe this mission has to do with the Akatsuki."

He nodded and relaxed a little. Genma, being Genma, cracked a joke, and the tension dissapeared as quickly as it had arrived.

They chatted for a long time, as Sakura's book lay forgotten and the sun slowly descended, their meeting with the Hokage nearing.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! If you have any comments with constructive criticism, I'd love to hear them.**

**Akamaruuuu out!**


	5. Before The Storm

**As The Falcon Flies By**

**Chapter 5 - Before The Storm**

**That took long! Sorry... The updates won't be regular for the next few weeks, but when summer starts, they will be.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Come on! We're gonna be late!" Sakura stood with her hands on her hips, impatiently tapping her right foot.

They had been walking towards the Hokage's building, when Genma suddenly had the urge to go to the park.

Looking her in the eyes, he silently conveyed that she should sit down next to him on the wooden bench.

When she didn't budge, he said more bluntly: "We have more than enough time. Sit down."

Rolling her eyes at his command, she gave up and sat down, grumbling something about being punctual.

Now that she was seated, she finally looked where they were exactly.

_It is quite beautiful here._

She leaned back and took in the sight. It was late summer, so most trees didn't have flowers anymore. The few that remained were strewn around on the grass floor.

Instead of flowers, the trees were full of green.

From where they were sitting, they could see almost the entirety.

It wasn't a very big park and there weren't many people. _It_ is _getting late. _She thought with annoyance. _Most people are having dinner, since it's evening. You know, evening. That time we were supposed to go to the Hokage?_

Looking at the sun slowly being swallowed by the ground, she thought: _Bugger it... It's too nice here._

"What...?" She said in the silence.

Genma looked down at the pink-haired kunoichi, who was looking at him with big expectant verdant eyes.

"What what?"

"Oh, don't do that..." She said as she settled against him.

With a small smile he slung a hand over her shoulder.

Her back moved a little when she talked again.

"What are we doing here?" She softly said.

Pulling her a bit closer, he said: "I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying the view while it lasts."

She nodded. _Yeah. Who knows where we'll end up._

They sat in a comfortable silence. The kind of silence you have with somebody you trust completely. There is no need to fill it up with mindless chatter.

It was the best kind.

"Sakura?"

"Hn?"

"Be careful during the mission, ok?"

"Of course."

And silence reigned again.

Before they could fall asleep on that wooden bench, they got up and left the park, his arm still loosely slung over her shoulder.

* * *

"You think she's going to be upset?"

They were standing in front of the large wooden doors and the place was almost deserted, making it feel much later than it really was.

"Kami, I hope not. Well, only one way to find out, huh?" As she said that, Sakura knocked on the large vertical wooden slab. A few moments passed, and then they heard a clear "Come in." from the other side.

_Here we go..._ She thought, as she turned the metal door handle and pushed inside.

As they walked in, Sakura immediately spotted four familiar shinobi and one dog, sitting on the couch she had not so long ago slept in.

"Now that you're here we can begin." Tsunade was sitting in her usual place- behind the large oak desk.

Genma walked by Sakura and winked, as if to say: _Told ya she wouldn't be mad._

She narrowed her eyes at him. _He looks far to smug._

He just chuckled and shook his head, twirling the senbon between his teeth.

Before she could give him a good knock on his head, they were interrupted by the Hokage.

"Are you two children almost done?!"

Straightening immediately, they looked at the blonde in front of them.

"Honestly," she added, "I don't know how you two put up with each other."

Genma sheepily scratched his head, and this time it was Sakura's turn to chuckle.

"Anyway, as you can see, the team is a bit bigger than you might have anticipated..."

With mild curiosity Sakura looked at her teammates. On the left sat Yamato, dressed in his ANBU outfit. He nodded towards her. Half in acknowledgment, because he used to be her team leader and half in respect, because she was his superior now. Which she, of course, returned, causing him to smile a little.

On his right sat Shikamaru. He looked less bored than usual, but he was still so similar to his father. _Way too intelligent and lazy._ She thought with a small smile.

A few months ago, Sakura had invited him to join the ANBU. He definitely had all the skills: in a fight, as well as out of a fight. But he had declined. Just because it would be 'too troublesome'. She remembered rolling her eyes when he said those words.

Further down the line sat Neji. His posture was impeccable, and his face as always composed. The Hyuuga prodigy, as polite, if not more than Hinata.

Their relationship had become a bit more relaxed over the years, and they were sometimes paired up for missions. She smiled, which he returned with a small bow of the head. It was good to see him again. They both had busy lives and it was difficult to meet with him sometimes. She was an ANBU, and he had to help govern the Hyuuga clan as Hinata's advisor.

Sakura turned towards the last person.

_Oh boy... Just look at him._

Kiba grinned at her, revealing his sharp canine-like tooth. She grinned back. Akamaru ran up to her, nuzzling his head against her arm, asking for attention. She rubbed his neck affectionately, ruffling his fur. He shot a bark at her, to show his appreciation.

Akamaru liked her. Sakura didn't get a lot of mission-time with the duo, but the were good friends anyway. Kiba was surprisingly easy to chat with. _And any dog can be won over with cuddles and snacks..._ She thought, scratching behind Akamaru's ear.

She looked at Tsunade and nodded slightly, silently showing she approved of the team.

"So what _is_ this mission?" Genma came to stand next to her, hands casually stuffed in his pockets.

The Hokage nodded. "Ah yes, the mission. I picked you, because of the skills you possess, and the fact that you will work together as a real team. I guessed you would function well together, since most of you have experience working with each other."

She paused, her eyes betraying how serious this was.

"You six will go to the north of here, to the outskirts of the Land of Fire. I'll give you a map of the estimated area."

While Tsunade said this, she retrieved a file from her desk drawer.

She continued talking while looking over the details.

"There are a lot of rumors of unrest there. Missing-nin are causing a lot of trouble. Killing, thieving, burning whole villages... They're plundering basically."

The Hokage looked up from the papers and looked each of them in the eye.

"I know it might not seem like much to you, but it's better to be safe than sorry. These missing-nins are numerous, and we aren't sure what the range of power is. It could be an easy mission, but for all we know it could be A-ranked or even S-ranked."

"So, I guess we're doing the usual, huh?" Genma asked.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded, "it's the usual. I am appointing you, Genma, as team leader. I trust you will explain to your teammates what exactly 'the usual' is?"

The brown-haired shinobi nodded, a bit more serious now that he knew what was up for them.

"All right then. I suggest you leave tomorrow. This'll give you enough time to rest and prepare."

She looked at everybody and said: "Understood?"

And as one, they nodded.

_Understood._

* * *

Sakura was staring out of the big window, the one framed by the wall behind Tsunade's desk.

Her soon-to-be-teammates had left already. Genma was -hopefully- briefing them on what exactly they were going to do. Since she and her second-in-command lieutenant had done these kind of missions for years, the kunoichi didn't need to be there. He could easily answer any questions they had. Besides, he was the teamleader and she had a few things she had to get done before they left.

Resting her lower body against the wall, she leaned comfortably at the edge of the window, taking in the semi-darkness.

_This town is so calm. Such a stark difference with the shinobi world... We fight and kill to protect this peace. But in the end..._

She crossed her arms over her chest and studied the skyline.

_...in the end, aren't we just making it worse? We_ kill _to protect_ peace. _Isn't that an oxymoron?_

"Are you being all philosophical again?" Her teacher and friend was standing next to her, her bronze eyes surprisingly soft.

"What?" A little startled, she looked at Tsunade.

"You were frowning and staring out of the window. Are you worried about something?"

"Oh, it's nothing." She schooled and smoothed her face, trying to look less worried than she felt about everything.

_Although... There is something else._

"What about the Akatsuki? And the Uchiha?" She said gently.

Those eyes that were soft a moment ago hardened. Sakura almost felt a bit sorry.

"Yes, I know... But our most important job right now is protecting the city and Naruto. We can't go on a wild goose chase after that man, and the Akatsuki need time to rest before they can even consider attacking us."

Her mouth stood grim, and to Sakura it seemed like her words weren't only directed to her, she was also telling herself.

"This isn't going to be easy, but you have to leave Konoha in order to protect it and its inhabitants, including Naruto."

Sakura sighed and turned back towards the glass, still eyeing the blonde out of the corner of her eye.

"I know, I know. It just doesn't sit well with me. Leaving him like that. It's counterintuitive, you know?"

A small smile graced her mentors face. "Naruto wont be harmed. We'll make sure. There are a lot of shinobi in Konoha, even if you six leave."

Feeling a bit more happy about the situation, Sakura changed the topic.

"All right, Ibiki is replacing me, I guess?"

"As always."

"Can you tell him to look in the bottom drawer of my desk? There is a full report of last months missions. He'll need to catch up on them."

"I will."

With a nod, she thanked Tsunade, and said: "I should check on my teammates... See how they're doing."

She started turning away, but Tsunade's voice stopped her.

"Be careful, Sakura."

_That's the second one today._

* * *

"So... you are spies?" Kiba's head was cocked a bit to the side, his expression curious.

"Yeah, kind of... It's more Sakura that does the infiltrating though."

Genma was half leaning, half sitting on Sakura's desk, his arms crossed over his chest. They had moved to her office, since it was nearby.

"How? Does she henge into one of the people, or something?"

Shaking his head in response to Kiba, Shikamaru said: "No, that would be to risky, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah," Genma agreed, "a henge requires chakra. You'd constantly have to keep up a henge. Even for somebody with so much chakra-control, that would be very distracting, not to mention dangerous. What she does is more old-fashioned. Changing hair colour, make-up, stuff like that."

"So what will we be doing? Are we going to spy?" Kiba was standing next to his complete enigma Neji. While Kiba was excited and energetic, the Hyuuga was calm and collected.

Genma just shook his head. "Not really, as I said, Sakura does most of the work. She collects information about our targets, and I -in this case we- eliminate the targets." He said casually.

A moment of silence passed.

"Do you do this often?" Neji inquired.

A knowing look passed over Yamato's face, but it quickly disappeared behind a pleasant facade.

_Yes, he would know about the missions, I guess._ Genma thought.

"We've been doing them for years. There isn't much I can tell you, you'll just have to see when we get there."

At that moment a certain pink-haired teammate opened the door.

"You told them?" She asked calmly as she confidently walked behind her desk.

"A bit." Her partner answered, not bothering to turn around. He knew she didn't mind to much him sitting on her desk.

She held her hair out of her face with one hand and picked up a small wooden box from inside a drawer with the other.

With experienced hands she quickly opened it with a small key she retrieved from her pocket.

She read through the small labeled vials and picked a few.

_Always handy those poisons... And maybe I should take some antidotes too._

When everything was back in it's place, she made the vials disappear into a small bag on her hip.

"Good. I suggest we go to bed early tonight, no?"

And with these words, she got her team to move out of her office.

She locked the door and smiled as she saw a oh-so-helpfulchunin coming her way.

With an inviting smile she lured the unsuspecting young man closer.

"Could you please take this key to Morino-san?"

His smile faltered a little, unsure if he should surrender or bolt.

_Ah yes, Ibiki sure is scary if you don't know him well. And oh boy did it take long to get to know him..._ Sakura thought with fondness, her smile growing just a little more sweeter.

The man, looking a little bit defeated, bowed respectfully and said: "Of course, I will do it immediately."

A small smile still graced her face as she thanked him.

_How nice of him.  
_

Nodding goodbye to her teammates, she walked away slowly, waiting for Genma to catch up.

As he followed slowly, he said: "Be at the gates at eight tomorrow."

With a final wave over his shoulder he said, "Sleep-well!", and followed the pink haired girl, leaving his team in the hallway.

* * *

**Hope you liked it. If you have any constructive criticism to give me, I'll be happy to hear from you.**

**Akamaruuuu out!**


	6. Departure

**As The Falcon Flies By**

**Chapter 6 – Departure**

**Hi. This took... long. Life has been -how shall we put it- ...mean? :(**

**Anyway, I hope you still enjoy this. **

* * *

"You know, people might start talking..."

Looking over her shoulder, she winked at Genma.

He returned the favor with a lopsided grin. For once, the sharp, dangerous piece of metal he insisted on carrying around was absent from his mouth.

They were standing in front of Sakura's door, while she looked for the keys in her hip-pouch.

"Now what would they be talking about?" Genma asked as if he didn't know, his eyes wide and naïve.

"Oh, you know... Visiting a young, _innocent_ girl's house, late in the evening?" She teasingly asked.

The kunoichi finally found what she was looking for and swung the front door open.

"Pffff... How dare you suggest such outrageous notions. I'll have you know I'm a proper gentleman."

Laughing with his little act, she shook her head. "Not to mention I could kick your butt if you tried anything I didn't want."

He snorted, even though he knew it was true.

_From experience._

Sakura turned back towards him, one foot inside, one still outside.

As she leaned against the door frame, her hands tucked behind her, her gaze turned more serious.

"You want to talk about something, don't you?"

Genma looked down at his feet. "Yeah..."

He kicked a pebble, making it shoot away into the shadows.

"It's just... I'm a little worried about tomorrow, about the mission."

She frowned a little at his concern. "Why? We've done this tons of times before... Are you worried about our teammates or something?"

Her partner stepped a little closer, leaning against the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest and casually stood across from her, but his eyes betrayed a certain amount of unease.

"The boys'll do fine... Even though they probably don't know you as well as I do."

She smiled a little.

"Yeah, they might be a little surprised once the mission actually starts. It's nothing we can't handle though."

They were still for a few moments, until Genma broke the late evening silence.

"I'm worried about Sound." He said, his voice soft, but still clear in the empty street.

She blinked once, before saying: "You mean you're worried about Sasuke." Her voice turned to something barely louder than a whisper when she said his name.

Genma's eyes met hers and he nodded slowly. "We will be so close to Sound... what if..." He trailed away, unable to find the right words.

"What if we stumble upon him?" She guessed.

He nodded once more.

"I am _not_ still in love with him. You know that." Sakura said, still standing in the doorway. A soft breeze passed her and lifted a few brightly-colored hair locks, before continuing into her small living space.

"Yeah, of course... But he still used to be your teammate. And friend, even though he might not have shown it often."

She looked him in the eyes, a spark of determination lighting up hers.

"If we see him, we don't interfere, no matter what." Her voice became stable again as her strong personality resurfaced. "He's not worth our time."

Weighing her words carefully, she said: "I don't want to kill him, but I also don't want _anything_ to do with him."

The distaste she had for Sasuke was clear in her voice.

He was glad. If they were to meet the second to last Uchiha, they would turn the other way.

It wasn't that they couldn't fight him, quite the opposite. If Genma and Sakura worked together, they had a quite a fair chance of beating him.

_That's just it. I don't want her to be hurt emotionally... Fighting an old friend is bad enough. Killing him could be traumatic. And she does_ not _need that right now._

A smile broke out from her gloomy exterior as she saw him relax.

"There," the girl said, "feel better?"

He nodded.

"No more worries?"

He shook his head.

"Are you mute?"

He chuckled as he leaned against her and whispered: "Nope."

Her eyes were challenging him, and he succumbed.

It was a gentle kiss. Sweet, soft and short.

"You _are_ a gentleman!" Sakura said teasingly.

He smirked and stepped back, until his back was touching the door frame.

"I can't stay. We should go to bed early today, no?"

She straightened from her position and stretched her back.

"That _would_ be in our best interest..." She said, trying to cover up a small yawn.

With an amused look, he gave her a small last peck on the lips and disappeared into the night.

Smiling, she turned on her heel. The kunoichi threw her keys on the table after locking her door, and fell asleep early for once.

* * *

She arrived quite a bit before eight, her belongings and weapons sealed away in a scroll.

It was fresher today, but the sun still warmed the morning air.

She inhaled long and deep.

_Perfect day for a mission. _

The big heavy gates were opened just enough for two people to enter or leave side by side. She could see the long dirt road, framed by trees on the sides, running into the distance.

Sakura chatted amicably with Kotetsu and Izumo while she waited for the five other shinobi to arrive.

The two chunin gatekeepers always made her laugh. She guessed they needed something to break up the boredom of sitting still all day, so she was happy to oblige.

"So... we've heard certain rumors..." Kotetsu said after chatting only for about two minutes, and winking exaggeratedly.

On second thought, she wasn't _too_ happy to oblige.

"Oh... Rumors about who?" She said, playing dumb.

"Don't play coy, Sakura." The spiky haired man crossed his arms over his chest.

"He told us so himself." Izumo added.

She sweat dropped.

"Ah, really..."

Now she had two smug men sitting across from her. Izumo wasn't as enthusiastic as his best friend. He was still quite amused, none the less.

"It's okay, though. We'll keep it under wraps!" The more talk active of the two moved forward. And in a comical way, urged her towards him.

Playing along, she leaned forward. With a hand covering half of his mouth and in a conspiring tone, he said: "We'll keep it under wraps, _if_, and I repeat, _if_ you dump him and go out on a date with me!"

Sakura groaned.

Izumo straightened a little. "Hey! I'm not getting anything out of this blackmail!"

"Well, you didn't spend a few hours feeding Genma drunk so he'd tell!" Kotetsu retorted.

"Wait, what...?" Sakura tried to come in between their bickering.

"They're is no logic in that blackmail!" Shaking his head, Izumo laughed at Kotetsu.

"Whatever," Kotetsu said, "so wad'ya say, Saki?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

"First of all, don't-" She tried to say, but was interrupted again, by the calmer one of the duo.

"Don't you think you're a little old anyway?"

Kotetsu scowled. "Nuh-uh... Genma's way older than me! Like, by ten years or so!"

"More like six years." A loud and clear voice came from behind Sakura. She was a little startled, but kept her surprise hidden as she enjoyed the look on the two gatekeepers' faces.

Now it was their turn to look unsettled.

_Haha, suckers... Well done, Genma! _

Trying very hard not to stick out her tongue at the troublesome pair and give Genma a high-five, Sakura smiled triumphantly.

"Heh... It was a joke, of course..." Kotetsu said, while Izumo awkwardly scratched his head.

"Of course it was." Genma said smoothly, his face a mask.

"You wouldn't _dare_ blackmail her, would you?" His eyes narrowed dangerously.

When the two shook their heads, he said: "I thought so!"

He motioned Sakura to follow him and they stopped in front of the gap in the open gates.

She could see amusement swimming in his eyes, and she just had to laugh.

"You are quite the knight in armor, huh?"

He chuckled. "Couldn't let them go through with their master plan, huh?"

"I'm just surprised it took them a few hours to get you drunk... You usually drop after-"

"Oh, don't ruin this!"

* * *

"Yo."

_Ah, the tell-tale sign of the Kakashi._

Before she could react, she was tackled by a hyper-ventilating, over excited, orange blur.

"Sakura! You didn't tell us about the mission!" Naruto said, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"Yeah... I forgot, Naruto."

"Don't forget next time." He said as he gave her a big hug.

"I wont be long. A few weeks at most." She said, trying to calm him down.

Her gray-haired jonin sensei stood a bit awkwardly behind his energetic student. He lazily waved at her, but she knew he meant well.

Over the years, she had learnt to tell how the rest of his face looked, just from staring at his uncovered one eye.

He was definitely smiling now.

The jonin opened a small pocket in his vest, and took out a small scroll. He handed it to her, saying: "From the Hokage."

She could see the indicatory seal.

Recognizing it as a high-level information scroll, she decided to keep it closed until she was alone, tucking it away in a pocket.

"Thanks, Kakashi."

* * *

_One, two, three, fou-_ She sighed. _Where is Kiba?_

"Where is Kiba?" She voiced her concerns.

Four heads shook, showing that they all didn't know.

Naruto and Kakashi had left moments after the three most grown-up teammates arrived. That is to say: Neji, Shikamaru and Yamato.

She rolled her eyes heavenwards, expecting Kiba to arrive just a few seconds before eight.

And she was right. Kiba, together with Akamaru landed in a cloud of dust, in front of the team of passive shinobi.

Kiba grinned at his dog. "We did it, Akamaru! We're on time!"

The big white dog that used to be a cute puppy, but now resembled something close to a polar bear, barked back happily.

"Leave it to Kiba to have a dramatic entrance." Shikamaru snorted, rolling his eyes as Kiba glared.

"All, right. Are we finally ready?" Genma asked.

"Hai." Sakura said, adjusting her hip pouch for easier travel.

"Then we're going to go straight north from here, until we get to Miyasato. It's a small village halfway to our destination."

Sakura nodded absent-mindedly, still adjusting a strap.

She and Genma had passed a few times through Miyasato. They were sure to find a place to sleep there.

She straightened, rolled her shoulders and walked with Genma towards the open gates, waving first at the two chunin gatekeepers.

_Let's go._

And like that, they left for the north.

* * *

**Not as good as I wanted it to be, but hey.**

**Hopefully the story will start picking up now. :)**

******Did you like the Genma/Sakura part? Tell me! I'd love to hear your comments.**

**Akamaruuuu out!**


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